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Retracing the Chisholm Trail

the Chisholm Trail crossed the West Fork of the Trinity River,veered a bit to the northwest, and led north along the border ofWise and Denton counties. Crossing Elizabeth and Oliver creeks,it passed east of the village of Decatur, then across DentonCreek and Clear Creek. Beyond, it entered the breaks of theRed River.Some of the early herds crossed the Red River at Sivell's Bend,in Cooke County, or at old Spanish Fort. But most of them weretrailed farther upstream and put across at Red River Station, innortheastern Montague County. This crossing, just below themouth of Fleetwood Branch, took its name from a Civil Waroutpost of the Texas Rangers. Soon after it became a heavily usedcrossing, it acquired a store and a saloon.The Red River, often flooded during the spring trailing sea-son, was one of the worst streams to swim a herd across. Sometimes several herds were held up on the Texas bank, waitingthe water to subside. At best, the crossing was made dangerousby quicksands and by the tendency of the Longhorns to startmilling in the middle of the river instead of going on across.On the rolling prairies of the Indian country, the trail outfitswere subject to the constant hazard of redskin raiders. Coman-ches, Kiowas, and others would try to stampede the cattle anddrive off the horses. Night guards had to heed every sound. Butusually the Territory offered plenty of grass and water. The trailled almost straight north on a route now closely hugged byUnited States Highway 81. Trees along the streams providedfirewood for the trail cook, except in the northern part, wherehe had either to carry wood or to rely on cow chips.About twenty-seven miles north of the Red River was a land-mark that many of the trail drivers remembered. This was amesa that became known as Monument Hill or MonumentRocks. Situated just east of the present village of Addington, itoffered a fine view of the surrounding country. Cowboys on itssummit could spot cook wagons and strung-out herds for tento fifteen miles in either direction. The almost flat top of thehill was strewn with slabs and boulders of reddish sandstone.Early drovers gathered some of these rocks into two piles asmarkers for the trail. The piles were about three hundred feet